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10.12.2013

17th Annual Field Day at the Baton Rouge Honey Bee Lab is Cancelled

We regret to inform all attendees that the 17th Annual Beekeepers Field Day at the USDA Honey Bee Lab in Baton Rouge has been cancelled due to the government shut down! Everyone who has paid either by US mail or through this web site will receive a full refund. Again, we are sorry for this inconvenience.

If you need to speak with someone, please call Joe Sanroma 318-346-2805, Robert Taylor 985-969-4647, or David Ferguson 225-726-1664.

9.29.2013

The Sun rings like a bell..
Wanna hear it??
Imagine that.. no wonder the bees wake up when the sun rises..
even in the darkest of days..
It is my theory that the bees are actually aware of this more than we think.
That they also respond and evolved to respond to sounds accordingly.
The Queen Pipes in the key of A or G when she is born.
Early drone instruments also were in these keys.. see earlier post..
(http://loveblessedlight.blogspot.com/2013/01/queen-bees-crumb-horns-and-bag-pipes.html)

9.15.2013

A hive check this weekend revealed that Faith's hive is not doing as bad as I thought. She is holding her own. Honey stores are alright- but not overwhelming. I will not take any of her winter storage.
Stella Rose is doing alright as well- but not as well as I thought.. so I took the extra super off the top.
They both are Russian Queens and new to the yard this year so I am expecting less of honey product from both of them.

Both Love and Grace have very active hives, with a little more honey stores as they are Both Italian Queens, but they too are not superfluous as they are also both new to the yard this year- I made a split from Love's hive to create Grace this Spring- but I allowed them to build their own comb, and used no wax foundations on their frames. Those little ladies built them all parallel towards the SE, not the south so they are all at an angle to their frames. ( Ha!) So I will probably leave them for winter stores as well.

A final note-since I have used the Baker's Joy Cooking spray on the telescopic covers on these hives, I have not seen any hive beetles. Perhaps this is a coincidence, but perhaps not. In any event I will continue my light applications to deter any critters who might like to lurk in those spaces. ; )
I will post a few photos soon.

7.26.2013

Is your home and yard pesticide free and Bee- Friendly??
Do you have lots of flowering plants trees and grasses that the bees can feed upon?
Do you have a garden designed to bloom year round to support the pollinators??
If so- enter your data on the Bee Friendly map!
Spread the word and help to make the
earth friendly to pollinators again.

6.13.2013

Along with the bees, and our mint and tarragon , I cook often to incude what we have outside.
We lost 77 trees to Katrina and so we started replanting Citrus. The bees have made the citrus tree so much more productive!!
H ere is one of my favorite Honey / Citrus recipes
- quick and easy- low salt , and the oranges come from right outside of our door!

CARRIE LEE'S HOT HONEY DUCK

WITH SWEET POTATOES & DRUNKEN PECAN RELISH

Serves two very hungry people.

Instructions and ingredients are general to leave room for your creativity.

It is best to make the Drunken Pecan Relish a day ahead of time. See below:

CARRIE LEE'S HOT HONEY DUCK

GENERAL INGREDIENTS

One nice duck

One fresh pineapple, cored, peeled and sliced into chunks.

2-3 Large Oranges ( we use our own Louisiana Sweet or Navels) , cut into 1/2s

2 sweet onions ( we like Vidalia, but sweet yellow is fine. )

peel and cut into slices.. ( my husband likes to dice them , but I like to slice them thin)

4.12.2013

The Digital Photographs that I submitted and that were accepted as part of the A Day in the World on May15th 2012 have been placed into a specially designedTime Capsule and placed in the Falun Copper Mine at the World Heritage Site in Falun Sweden.
(I could be wrong, but to my knowledge,
I am the only person who photographed beekeeping activities in Louisiana that day.)

All images from “A Day in the World” stored in Falun Copper Mine

Posted on Mar 28th 2013

A time capsule containing the results of the biggest photographic documentation project ever attempted in a single day was sealed inside the Falu Copper Mine on March 22, 2013. The capsule is now being stored in an 18th-century mine tunnel, accessible for visitors to the over 1300-year-old mine, part of the Falun World Heritage Site.

The contents of the time capsule consist of the “A Day in the World” book in English, a computer with all submitted photos as well as photographic prints of a selection of the submitted pictures. All photographs were taken on 15 May 2012 and depict the everyday life of people across the world.

Photo: Erik G Svensson . The book, prints and a HP Elitebook Laptop with all 100.000 photos from May 15, 2012 are placed inside the inner box. The battery is removed and only the power cord is included.

The capsule has a hexagonal external shell. Inside is a storage box with a sealed section where the objects are placed. The design of the capsule references the timeless lines of Swedish mining machinery. The supportive pillars in the design provide symbolic strength to the housing and protection of the contents. The storage box itself is made from a special alloy, known as the world’s most stainless steel, Outokumpu 654 SMO.

The time capsule was welded shut and a valve emptied the container of oxygen and moisture. Finally, it was filled with argon gas for a reaction-free environment that will preserve its content, explains industrial designer Christian Runius, the design author.

Photo: Erik G Svensson. The inner box was sealed by the welding team in Avesta.

The capsule was transported to Falun Copper Mine and placed deep down in a tunnel, accessible for all visitors to the mine

Do you remember the photos that I took of the hives and gathered honey as part of the A Day photo Project? If not here is the link.. to the May 15th images that I took and submitted

4.07.2013

Lots to pollinate right now. Camellias still blooming , along with Azaleas, Blackberries, Wild Cherries, Yaupon, Fringe Trees and Blueberries and Wisteria! could there be more?? you bet! Wild Salvia.. take a look in your yard.. What could the bees bee eating?? Here are a few photos of our bees on Blooms

The Nucs that we ordered from our bee club http://selabees.org. are scheduled to arrive in April. Meanwhile..It is swam seasons and there are swarms happening all over SELA.. If you see one ..let us know!! contact our bee club http://selabees.org There is nothing quite so wonderful as catching a live wild or tame swarm to add to your apiary!!!